Key of Reason
by The Alleycat Ulan
Summary: 'Itai, Yu-chan, itai,' One part of Kanda wanted to believe that the use of the nickname proved it wasn't serious; but another part of him saw the redness seeping through the Bookman Jr's fingers and was worried by it. oneshot.


**Key of Reason**

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><p><em>'It's all a game of this and that now versus then,<em>

_better off against, worst for wear_

_and you're someone who knows someone who knows someone I once knew_

_I just wanna be a part of this.'_

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><p>Of all things it was a stray bullet.<p>

Lavi clutched at the wound, desperately willing the blood to stop. It didn't. Red and defiant it trickled through his finger to pool on the ground at his feet.

It was meant to be a mission complete.

The Akuma had been destroyed and the Innocence had been retrieved.

And yet.

'Yu-chan,' barely a whisper. It was no wonder Kanda didn't hear him the first time.

'Yu-chan,' louder this time and more demanding. Kanda looked back to where the red head still crouched in the snow.

'What?'

Lavi's only answer was a shake of the head, trying to defy the pain that threatened to overwhelm him. Kanda frowned, he crossed the distance between them in five long strides and when he came to a halt above the other exorcist he repeated his question.

'Itai,' again the whisper; Lavi had no breathe left for anything louder, it was flowing away with his blood to stain whiteness that blanketed the ground. To his credit the Japanese man heard the voice, maybe not the word, but the voice that spoke and the anguish it held.

His question was in the icy air a third time and he knelt, ignoring the wetness that almost instantly began to seep into the dark fabric of his pants. Lavi shook his head again, but now Kanda understood.

There was no tumbling snowflakes to obscure his vision now.

He saw the warm blood, harsh against the cold, white snow.

And he saw the hands that trembled with desperation likewise stained and the pentagrams slowly spreading over the other exorcists skin.

'Krory!' The Japanese man called, hoping the vampire had not strayed out of earshot during the battle. Casting around Kanda saw no sign of the other man. He called out again before turning his attention back to Lavi.

Colouring was quickly draining from his face and Kanda could feel his stomach sinking.

'Yes,' Krory appeared, kneeling with the other two. Kanda looked at him, his concern over Lavi driven off momentarily by his surprise at the vampire's sudden appearance.

Krory ignored the look. Gently he pried Lavi's hands away to reveal the wound. Lavi allowed the action and shifted his concentration to remaining conscious. Kanda turned his face away as the vampire bit and felt annoyance rising within himself at his own uselessness.

Once the pentagrams had faded from Lavi's skin Krory pulled back, pulling his sleeve across his lips to remove any remaining traces of blood.

Lavi's face had lost even more colour and Krory looked apologetic. Drawing deep lungfuls of air the redhead tried to drag his breathing back to some semblance of steady. It wasn't working.

Nor did it help when Kanda took the signature orange scarf from around the Lavi's neck and wound it firmly around his waist. Whatever breathe he had regained leapt from his mouth as he cried aloud in pain. Kanda's eyes met his own, his gaze steady, and, Lavi found the steel grey stare strangely comforting.

The Japanese man turned away briefly to confer with the vampire. Their words were lost to Lavi, but then Krory rose and disappeared into the snow.

'Where-?' Lavi tried to asked through his pain, but Kanda cut him off.

'Can you stand?' the words were formed as a simple question, and Lavi could not even put together a coherent answer. Kanda hooked a careful arm around his shoulders and rose slowly, pulling Lavi with him. By the time they were standing the redhead's lips were bleeding too, escaping in small droplets from where his teeth had torn the skin in his attempt to keep from crying aloud in pain.

Lavi was trembling.

Kanda could feel it as he half carried, half dragged the other exorcist through the quickly building rifts of snow. He could not tell, however, if it was caused by the snow or by the pain. Neither was a particularly appealing option.

When the redhead's teeth starting chattering Kanda decided that a good proportion of the trembling was from the cold after all. He was thinking of giving him his jacket when Lavi stumbled.

Kanda caught him awkwardly, taking more of Lavi's weight in an attempt to keep him upright. Lavi was shaking his head, again the word, 'Can't,' barely escaping his pale lips. Kanda frowned, shifting his position slightly so that he carried almost all of the other exorcist's weight.

He wondered if Krory had reached the others yet. He cast around, his mind racing. Lavi couldn't keep this up, even if help was on its way. Kanda frowned. If he remembered correctly from his earlier surveys of the area there was a cave not too far away. That was as good a option as any he decided, all things considered.

Leaving the path, Kanda turned to his left gently pulling Lavi with him. Pausing by a tree briefly Kanda drew Mugen and marked the tree, assuming -hoping- that at least one of the others would see the sign.

A tiny groan escaped the Bookman Jr as Kanda shifted him again, lifting him up piggy back style.

'Hold on,' he instructed firmly as pulled Lavi's arms over his shoulders and around his neck. Lavi obliged, but his grip was feeble and Kanda was forced to hunch forward to ensure the other didn't topple from his back if his grip lost out.

Lavi's head rested on Kanda's shoulder and the Japanese man could now hear the whimpers that came with every breathe the redhead drew. He could feel the other man trembling too, and the abnormally high body heat and, worst of all, the warmth of his blood as it soaked through the rough bandaging.

'Yu-chan,' Lavi whispered, his breathe tickling Kanda's ear.

'What?' Kanda replied, somewhat more gruffly than he had intended.

'Thank you,' Lavi murmured and there was a tiny hint of amusement to the words. Kanda examined him from the corner of his eye; there was a tiny smile on the idiot's lips.

'Baka.'

'Yeah,' Lavi sighed, closing his eye, 'Something like that,'

They lapsed into brief silence before Lavi spoke again.

'The snow...it's really...pretty don't you think?'

Kanda gave the redhead another sideways glance; his eye was still closed, 'Shut up and save your breath,' he sighed, shifting Lavi higher up on his back again. Lavi's breath hitched at the action and Kanda winced inwardly.

Just when Kanda was beginning to think they'd never reach the cave it came into sight. He felt relief wash over him briefly, driven quickly away when he remembered the only thing the cave had to offer was shelter; there was nothing there that could save the other exorcist.

Kanda set Lavi down at gently as he could, propping him up slightly against the cave wall. The redhead hardly stirred. The scarf was soaked through. Biting back a sigh of resignation Kanda pulled his coat off and wrapped it snugly around Lavi. He tried to pretend that it wasn't like wise soaked. It almost worked.

Settling down beside Lavi, Kanda turned his gaze towards the cave mouth.

'Yu-chan?' it was the tiniest and most pathetic voice Kanda had ever heard.

'What?' this time the reply was softer and more tentative.

'Thank...you,'

'You already said that,' Kanda gazed down at his companion. Lavi opened his eye a little to return the look.

'Really?'

'Yeah,'

'Oh.' Lavi closed his eye again.

'Baka.'

Lavi didn't reply and Kanda was left to wait in silence.

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><p><em>I sure hope Lavi forgives me for this! I didn't mean for it to end this way, but I actually rather like it. That way you can decide for yourselves =3 <em>

_Not intended as Kanda/Lavi but if you wanna see it that way it doesn't bother me at all ;)_

_The title is part of the lyrics from Hum Hallelujah by Fallout Boy._

_Thanks for reading and please review!_

_'So hum hallelujah, just off the key of reason_

_I thought I loved you, but it was just how you looked in the light.'_


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